Practice MCQs For Radioactivity and the nuclear atom

This quiz contains practice questions for GCE ‘O’ level topic: Radioactivity and the nuclear atom. There are explanations for some of the questions after you submit the quiz. If you could not figure out why a particular option is the answer, feel free to drop a comment below or ask a question in ‘O’ & ‘A’ Level Discussion section of the forum. If you wish to contribute questions to this quiz, please contact us.

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1. The results of the Rutherford experiment provide evidence for the presence of the nucleus within the atom.

What were scattered in this experiment?

alpha-particles

gamma rays

beta-particles

gold nuclei

2. The half-life of a radioactive material is 24 years.

The activity of a sample falls to a fraction of its initial value after 72 years.

What is the fraction?

$\frac{1}{6}$

$\frac{1}{3}$

$\frac{1}{8}$

$\frac{1}{4}$

3. A nuclide of the element plutonium is $^{242}_{94} \text{Pu}$.

What is the number of neutrons in its nucleus?

336

94

148

242

4. What is the safest way to dispose of a large quantity of highly radioactive waste?

pumping it into a river

pouring it down the drain

burning it on a fire

burying it in dry rock deep underground

5. Which statement defines isotopes?

two (or more) nuclides which have the same number of protons but different numbers of electrons

two (or more) nuclides which have the same number of neutrons but different numbers of protons

two (or more) nuclides which have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons

two (or more) nuclides which have the same number of neutrons but different numbers of electrons

6. Which statement is true for all three types of radioactive emission (alpha-particles, beta-particles and gamma-rays)?

They emit light.

They are deflected by electric fields.

They ionise gases.

They are completely absorbed by a thin aluminium sheet.

7. The nucleus of a nitrogen atom can be represented as $^{14}_{7} \text{N}$.

The nucleus of this atom consists of

14 protons and 7 neutrons.

7 protons and 7 neutrons.

14 protons and 7 electrons.

7 protons and 7 electrons.

8. $^{14}_{6} \text{C}$ represents a nuclide of the element carbon and $^{14}_{7} \text{N}$ a nuclide of nitrogen.

How does a neutral atom of $^{14}_{7} \text{N} $ differ from a neutral atom of $^{14}_{6} \text{C} $?

The nitrogen atom has one proton less than the carbon atom.

The nitrogen atom has one electron less than the carbon atom.

The nitrogen atom has one neutron more than the carbon atom.

The nitrogen atom has one proton more than the carbon atom.

9. An experimenter sets up the following apparatus, in air, to discover whether a radioactive source is emitting alpha-particles.

The experimenter moves the paper between the source and the detector. There is no difference in the count-rate.

Why is this?

The source emits beta-particles and alpha-particles.

The radioactive source is too far from the detector.

The count-rate due to the background radiation is too high.

Paper does not absorb alpha-particles.

10. A nucleus consists of 90 protons and 144 neutrons.

After emitting two beta-particles followed by an alpha-particle, this nucleus has:

86 protons and 142 neutrons.

90 protons and 140 neutrons.

90 protons and 142 neutrons.

86 protons and 140 neutrons.

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